Jim FisherSigma dp1 QuattroThe Sigma dp1 Quattro is the wide-angle sibling to the dp2 Quattro. Like the dp2, its image quality is outstanding, but it's slow to use and Raw processing requires some patience.

The Sigma dp1 Quattro is the wide-angle sibling to the dp2 Quattro. Like the dp2, its image quality is outstanding, but it's slow to use and Raw processing requires some patience.

The Sigma dp1 Quattro ($999) is the second compact camera in the company's lineup to receive an update to the new body style and sensor that go along with the Quattro moniker. It's priced the same as the first camera to undergo the makeover, the dp2 Quattro, and it uses the same three-layer Foveon image sensor, so its performance is in line. If you're a Foveon devotee, it's worth a close look, but we think most photographers that want a compact camera with a large image sensor and prime lens should go for our Editors' Choice, the Fujifilm X100T. It handles better, delivers stronger image quality at high ISO, and incorporates a unique optical/electronic hybrid viewfinder into its design.

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Design and Features The dp1 Quattro's body design is identical to the dp2, but its wide-angle lens adds just a little depth, about two tenths of an inch. The dp1 measures 2.6 by 6.4 by 3.4 inches (HWD) and weighs about 15 ounces. For more on handling, features, and Raw workflow, take a look at our review of the dp2 Quattro; the cameras are identical in that regard.

Where the cameras differ is the lens. The dp2 Quattro has a fixed 30mm f/2.8 lens that covers a standard-angle field of view when paired with its APS-C image sensor—roughly equivalent to a 45mm lens mounted to a full-frame camera. The dp1 covers a wider field of view. Its lens—which has been newly redesigned when compared with the one used by the previous-generation DP1 Merrill—is a 19mm f/2.8. Its field of view is roughly equivalent to a 28mm prime on a full-frame system, a classic wide-angle field of view.

The lens has a pretty decent 7.9-inch (20cm) close-focus capability. I did notice one instance of lens flare when shooting directly into the sun, which gave my photo a bit of a green hotspot. It was easy enough to slide down the green channel saturation in Lightroom to make this less of an issue. But it was an extremely challenging scene with the subject in shadow and a strong backlight. The final image (below) still shows some green on the left side of the cross, but some additional spot work with the saturation tool would make short work of that.

Sigma eschews the middle ground with the lens choices in its lineup. Most premium compacts, including APS-C models like the Leica X (Typ 113) and Fujifilm X100T, and the full-frame Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1, have lenses that cover a 35mm-equivalent field of view. With Sigma you have the option of going wide with the dp1, standard with the dp2, or telephoto with the upcoming dp3 Quattro or older DP3 Merrill. There are a couple of models that match the dp1's field of view—the Ricoh GR and Nikon Coolpix A.

Performance and Conclusions The dp1 Quattro isn't a camera that's going to do well shooting fast action. It's slow to start up and capture an in-focus image, requiring about 4.6 seconds. The camera turns on a bit quicker than that, in about 3 seconds, but there's a delay for focus, and I had to press the shutter button a few times in order for it to shoot right after booting up. That wasn't an issue when capturing images once the camera been on for a little bit, but in bright light the camera still requires about 0.35-second to locks focus and fire. In dim conditions that slows to 1.3 seconds.

The dp1 is capable of short burst shooting at a reasonable 3.7 frames per second. It can capture 7 images in a burst at that rate, but even with a fast SanDisk 95MBps memory card, it takes a good long while to commit all of those to memory. If you're shooting in Raw+JPG you'll need to wait about 42 seconds, Raw format only requires 52.6 seconds, 19.6-megapixel JPGs take 50.1 seconds, and 39-megapixel JPGs require 46.6 seconds. You can capture another image after one of the seven has been cleared from the buffer.

I used Imatest to check the sharpness of the dp1's newly designed lens. When shooting JPG images at 19.6-megapixel resolution it scores 3,628 lines per picture height on a center-weighted sharpness test. That's much better than the 1,800 lines we require to call a photo sharp, but edge performance (2,178 lines) does significantly lag behind the center (4,261 lines). Peak performance is at f/4 where the lens manages an outstanding 4,003 on average thanks to a sharper center (4,576 lines) and improved edges (2,680 lines). There's a drop off in resolution at f/5.6 (3,941 lines) due to diffraction, but photos still show an incredible amount of detail at f/8 (3,640 lines) and f/11 (3,002 lines). Images don't show quite as much detail as the dp2—it manages 4,699 lines at f/2.8—but still go toe-to-toe with the output from Nikon's 36-megapixel D810 in terms of detail.

The dp1 can also be set to record JPG images at 39-megapixel resolution. Raw recording isn't possible when shooting at this interpolated setting. There's actually a drop in resolution when pushing the files that big—at f/2.8 the camera manages 3,409 lines, and at f/4 it shows 3,745 lines. But the option is there if you intend to make huge prints from your images.

Imatest also checks photos for noise. The dp1 uses the same image sensor and processor as the dp2, so it's no surprise that noise results are just about the same. At ISO 100 the camera shows about 1.4 percent, which is just under our 1.5 percent cutoff. Noise increases to 2 percent at ISO 200, 2.4 percent at ISO 400, and 3 percent at ISO 800. Image quality is solid at through ISO 400, but at ISO 800 there's a moderate loss of color saturation. At ISO 1600 some aggressive noise reduction kicks in, lowering the score to 1.4 percent again, but image detail suffers immensely. Things just get worse at ISO 3200 and 6400.

The same issues are there if you shoot in the 39-megapixel JPG mode. If you opt to shoot in the Raw file format, details are just a little bit sharper at ISO 400, but there are still issues with color saturation and contrast at ISO 800 and above. If you do shoot in Raw, you'll need to use Sigma Photo Pro 6 to process the images. The software is rather disappointing—it's slow, doesn't provide tools for cropping or perspective control to fine-tune images, and I dealt with somewhat frequent crashes when using version 6.1.0 on an iMac running Yosemite.

The dp1 is a still camera only—it doesn't record video. It does include a proprietary USB cable to connect to a PC, and standard SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards are supported. Sigma includes an external wall charger and two batteries in the box; the dp1 is rated for 200 shots per charge by CIPA.

The Sigma dp1 Quattro is a camera with niche appeal, and with some issues. Its wide-angle lens is appealing to landscape shooters, and the amount of detail that the camera is capable of capturing is simply outstanding. At low ISOs it's on par with high-end full-frame and medium format systems in that regard. But it's not a camera that's well-suited for shooting at high ISO—we don't recommend pushing it beyond ISO 400—and it's slow to use. Its JPG output is excellent at lower ISOs, so you may be able to skip Raw processing, but if you do prefer to work with uncompressed images, you're going to have to deal with a Raw workflow that's hobbled by very clunky software.

If you're willing to work within its limits, the dp1 will reward you with stunning images. But there are just too many caveats for us to wholeheartedly recommend it. If you love the 28mm field of view, give consideration to the Ricoh GR as an alternative. It's less expensive, small enough to slide into your pocket, quicker to use, and it also features an APS-C image sensor; you won't be able to squeeze the same level of detail out of it as you can with the dp1, but its images are still very printable. Our current Editors' Choice for premium compacts is the Fujifilm X100T; its low-ISO image output doesn't match the Quattro series in terms of detail, but its 35mm f/2 lens, excellent low-light performance, and integrated hybrid viewfinder make it a more versatile camera.

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About the Author

Senior digital camera analyst for the PCMag consumer electronics reviews team, Jim Fisher is a graduate of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he concentrated on documentary video production. Jim's interest in photography really took off when he borrowed his father's Hasselblad 500C and light meter in 2007. He honed his writing skills at re... See Full Bio

Sigma dp1 Quattro

Sigma dp1 Quattro

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